Tuesday 07/28/15

Eligible for Farm Programs? It Depends

There's a lot of fine print in how USDA calculates income eligibility for farm programs under the new farm bill. Just be aware that there's no single definition of the "Adjusted Gross Income" rule that fits all individuals and business structures, as I reported from the annual American Institute of CPA agricultural meeting several weeks ago.[Read Full Blog Post]

Monday 07/27/15

Why Seller Financing Fits the Bill

Admittedly my friend Zach probably isn't paying full market value for his uncle's share of an irrigated specialty farm, but the size and responsibility of his multi-million dollar, 30-year note still keeps the young farmer up nights.[Read Full Blog Post]

And yet in progressive farmer I see these guys are still paying 10,000 dollars an acre for land! Oh well.

Posted by Raymond Simpkins at
5:33AM CDT 07/23/15

I read your July article on farm finance. For the most part it is correct, but I think the atmosphere is a little more negative than your sources proclaim.
I work with a lot of lenders in the Midwest and Plains states. I took a poll in April and the findings are a little shocking. Nearly every lender replied the same statements. If current grain prices hold or move lower, they are not so worried about this year â? they will cripple through it. Their main concern is 2016 as you said. But what is shocking is that the average banker said, if all things being equal, the lowest percentage lender told me he would lose 3% of his farm customers. The highest loss is 11%. Most replied that they would lose somewhere between 4% to 6%.
Winter homes, new pickups, vacations, leasing new combines, buying more high priced land, etc. has come back to haunt them. They are not as flush as the article proposes. And their input costs can only be trimmed so much. Seed companies aren't going to reduce the cost of seed for example John Deere has laid off a few thousand. No farmer is or will buy new equipment at all. That's over for at least the next thee to four years, bin companies, etc are suffering the climateâ? the producer is afraid again and rightly so. What upsets me is that farmers didn't hardly forward contract any grain. There were more times than I can count to forward sale/hedge well over $4.00 cash.
China has huge problems that is putting a ceiling on U.S. activity and giving grains no underlying support. For now, the good times are over and it may haunt them through 2018.
You are right, the younger generation has never been through this financial fallout. They are learning a tough new farming lesson dad has gone through multiple times. I'm sure they thought it would never end. I hate being this negative for sure, but I have to be realistic. And I hope I am entirely wrong.
--Randy Allen, CEO, RWA Financial Services, Inc., Austin, Texas

Posted by Marcia Taylor at
12:24PM CDT 07/28/15

Thursday 06/25/15

Story Book Endings for Estate Taxes

The fact that very few farm estates pay federal taxes is no accident. Most farm families spend a decade or more gifting and transferring assets to keep their family business intact.[Read Full Blog Post]

This is why I get a kick out of the all the uproar over the estate tax. If you have a good plan implemented, you more than likely can skirt the taxes owed. I don't know exactly how many farmers there are, but if you assume there are currently 2,000,000 farm estates, ones that are actively farming, then you would roughly have about 54,000 farmers that would have a problem. That's pretty small potatoes, and those 54k have some money/assets that can handle the tax. The secondary side of this estate issue is one that I don't see answered very often. If I am an active farmer in my 70's and I have no children that are active in the farm, when will that land ever hit the open market for an active farmer to buy it? It's a legitimate question that doesn't get answered. Considering that 90% of farms do not make it to the 3rd generation, this is something that people forget about...absentee landowners that are so far removed from agriculture that they see it as an investment or really care when revenue is below the cost of production.

Posted by Pedro Sanchez at
8:37AM CDT 06/26/15

$20M estate and no estate taxes??? Greece here we come!

Posted by Unknown at
8:17PM CDT 06/30/15

The American Farmer should be proud to pay taxes.

Posted by Unknown at
8:19PM CDT 06/30/15

Farmers with estates worth multi-millions should be ashamed that they feel they need to avoid taxes.
What an embarrassment to the rest of farmers and society.
I can't believe the author is advocating that the uber rich should be allowed to avoid taxes. I bet she also wonders why this country is broke.
GET A CLUE AMERICA!

Posted by Bill Billson at
9:42PM CDT 07/01/15

Where does everyone think these assets came from? They were purchased with money that was already taxed once as income tax. How is double taxation fair. The reason the country is broke is because achievement is punished through wealth redistribution. Maybe if people were allowed to keep more of what they work so hard for, there would be more of an incentive to work in this country

Posted by Jacob West at
4:30PM CDT 07/02/15

I do not understand why the government should be entitled to an estate in the first place, the size should not make a difference.

Posted by Bonnie Dukowitz at
5:46AM CDT 07/03/15

Escalating land values that are realized later through real estate sales have not had those gains taxed previously. Just as stock or commodity price increases result in tax obligations, it would make sense that land value gain would also.

Posted by Don Thompson at
8:02AM CDT 07/06/15

My family farm estate was built with after tax dollars. Several years ago I purchased farmland for $1,000,000. Put every asset I owned up for collateral to borrow the money. My accountant estimated it will take $2,000,000 in after tax dollars to pay for this farmland. I can't imagine having to pay an additional estate tax. What would incentivize anyone to risk all they have to try and build a farm estate only to be taxed a second time.

Posted by Unknown at
4:54PM CDT 07/06/15

The federal estate tax exemption is around $5.4 million or as much as $10.8 million per couple if qualified after considering basis, etc. Plus, generous gifting options are available through a correctly established ownership entity.
The number of individuals subject to federal estate tax is quite small just as Pedro Sanchez noted earlier in this blog. It does require some planning and that may cost more than one may wish to pay for.

Posted by Don Thompson at
8:37AM CDT 07/07/15

why should an event such and death trigger a tax

Posted by Wally frey at
1:21PM CDT 07/09/15

Wally: because luckily, you were born in America. Give back, amigo.

Posted by Unknown at
7:52PM CDT 07/12/15

How many times does a family have to pay for an asset during 3 generations? You guessed it ------- 3!

Posted by Roger Cooper at
9:51PM CDT 07/12/15

There were a couple of good points made here. First, If you realized a gain on your property, much like stocks or commodities, you have to pay a capital gain tax. That is not double taxation. If you purchased it for $100,000 and it is now worth $1,000,000, you have a $900,000 gain that you have paid no tax on or "earned". The government wants to collect some revenue for you to pass that wealth to your kids. However, they are willing to let you keep about $10,000,000 before they dip into your pocket. It's not like they are being unreasonable. Another point was brought up that the assets were purchased with after tax money. The only asset that I know that farmers pay with after tax dollars is real estate. Buildings, tile, equipment, etc. are bought and depreciated, and never taxed until sold. Again, no double taxation. The estate tax will likely never affect most of us. It is indexed to inflation now, and we "hate" this tax because we are greedy SOB's. I would hate to have to pay it, but you know what, if I have accumulated more than $10,800,000 of net worth by the time I die, then I don't think my kids should piss and moan about have to pay a little bit of tax to Uncle Sam, because guess what, THEY DIDN'T EARN A PENNY OF IT! Generational wealth can lead to a bunch of lazy, egotistical, narcissists that think that they deserve the world. How many farmers do we know that went broke in the 80's because Dad handed them the farm and they let it get away? How many more are we going to see in the future? Do we really want a bunch of "Trust Fund Baby's" in farming? Ones who really don't care if they make money or not, because the well never runs out? How do you compete with someone like that? Think about that before you want to get rid of an estate tax.

Posted by Pedro Sanchez at
8:19AM CDT 07/15/15

10,800,000 if you're married, not single. Where does this magic number come from anyway? Why not make it 20 million or some other number? It was unlimited in 2010. It is a moving target that always changes and makes it extremely difficult to plan for. It is based on government greed. They sure as hell didn't take the risk to earn it, nor did the whining liberals with their hand out to steal it. How I raise my kids and what they get when I die is also my problem. Hopefully when I die my children are in their 60's and have a life invested in tending the land. In that case, THEY EARNED EVERY PENNY OF IT.
The best way to kill a farm is to have to sell it off to pay taxes. If you cant compete, you have no business farming. Leave it to the ones that do and this country will continue to enjoy cheap food

Posted by Jacob West at
5:01PM CDT 07/15/15

Sorry Pedro. We send two checks to the county every year for real estate taxes..

Posted by Bonnie Dukowitz at
12:00AM CDT 07/16/15

Re Mr West
I am a non whining Liberal. The odds of your good fortune became immeasurably better when you were born a white Amerrican male. Give back, Bro.

Posted by Unknown at
9:12PM CDT 07/16/15

I didn't know money fell from the sky based on your birth certificate. You can always spot a desperate liberal when the race card is played. You need a new comeback, Bro.

Posted by Jacob West at
6:20AM CDT 07/17/15

Bonnie, every one pays real estate tax on their land or homes or buildings. That is the cost of "ownership". Jacob West, if you own the land and are running it yourself, then your kids didn't earn a penny of it. You earned it off the land. Do you hire them? Do you rent it to them? If either scenario is the case, again, they are either getting paid for their time or have an opportunity for investment, but do not own the land and their for didn't earn the gain in the appreciated value. You as the landowner did. I understand that the estate tax exemptions have been a moving target, but I think Congress finalized it for some time. if you can't/won't plan and adjust as times change, you don't deserve to complain about having to pay estate taxes. There are tons and tons of options out there to work around or minimize the tax. I just talked to a individual who inherited 700 acres and he had to pay $99k in estate taxes only if he sold the land within 10 years. Otherwise nothing. That doesn't sound like he is having to sell the farm!

Posted by Pedro Sanchez at
8:31AM CDT 07/17/15

This discussion has me wandering just what rural America is willing to provide the USA to keep it going. Nobody wants to pay taxes and our infrastructure is approaching 3rd world. Very few think they should join the military to support the wars they say they support. Police departments and volunteer fire departments are always short handed. Even rural blood banks and the percentage of people donating is extremely low. People say they won't vote because they fear it will put them on the roles to serve jury duty! Meanwhile, governments provide tax breaks, crop and/or disaster insurance, and countless incentives to people and business to stay in rural America. And after all of that, people complain that they have to plan ahead to pass millions of dollars to heirs - why not let me do it for nothing?? Finally, rural America contributes less than it takes from the Federal government, ie, America's Greece. Are we all just getting in line to take while chastising those who stand in a different line?

Posted by Don Thompson at
10:33AM CDT 07/17/15

Contributes less Don? Please order your food from China or Iran while you lay on the beach.
Income taxes (capital gains) on homes are also given a break Pedro.
Maybe the government just has its hands in too many things. A little over a 100 years ago these taxes didn't exist.

Posted by Bonnie Dukowitz at
1:38PM CDT 07/17/15

Bonnie, A little over 100 years ago the US was not the world's policeman and peace maker with an immense military to support. A little over 100 years ago there were no farm programs that kept marginal farms going. A little over 100 years ago there were no programs to help the poor and disadvantaged and rural residents. A little over 100 years ago most rural roads were dirt and there was no rural electric or highway system or airport system.
Maybe Bonnie, a lot of folks were born in the wrong century?. I suggest it is time to get onboard because the train of progress has left the station.

Posted by Don Thompson at
3:25PM CDT 07/17/15

I have no problem contributing my fair share. My problem is with how the govt. picks winners and losers. Why do larger more efficient producers get punished with estate taxes while the smaller operations pay none? I sacrificed to grow a business,less vacations,toys,etc. Why? Just to share with the slackers? All I'm asking is to be allowed fair treatment. I'd be all for closing all FSA offices too. Get the govt out of my business and let everyone compete fairly. Everybody outside of Ag has the hate the big guy mentality. We all started with one acre just as Walmart started with one store. You want to talk about a declining and deteriorating America, could it be because the govt is killing the desire to achieve? I wish I would have worked less now. let somebody else take care of me. What happened to Greece is that the makers quit because they got sick of everybody sucking off them. We are on the cusp of that happening here. Why try to prosper when the govt keeps trying to create a socialist society?

Posted by Jacob West at
7:24PM CDT 07/17/15

You make some valid points, Don, however, W.W. #1 was almost 100 years ago.
One should not ignore the fact that the rural roads, farm programs were legislatively enacted to allow food producers a means of getting the food to the population centers. That is, to provide an adequate food supply. The aim was not help to farmers. We still have the same gravel road,(constructed almost a 100 years ago, now supported by Township taxes, the same highline wire(constructed 60 some years ago, supported by the co-op members bills, paid each month, not Federal taxes.
Maybe if the government would quit subsidizing huge stadiums and transportation systems to entertain the populace, the budget would balance a bit better.

Posted by Bonnie Dukowitz at
7:13AM CDT 07/18/15

Wednesday 06/24/15

Loss Leaders on Crop Insurance

Just like grocery stores, crop insurance companies seem to run "loss leaders" in the meat department to get your business in the snack aisle. By law, insurers must sell identical multi-peril policies, so offering private riders is one way to differentiate themselves from the crowd.[Read Full Blog Post]

Editor's Note: The original version of this blog referred to an 18% compensation for administration and overhead on federal multiperil policies. An NCIS spokesperson points out that since 2010, the industry has received a flat $1.4 billion (inflation adjusted) annually, not a percentage payment. That does not cover all expenses--such as technology, computer programming and staff training (such as under the new farm bill). For the last 16 years, compensation for administration and overhead has left the industry with a $350 million to $400 million hole every year, NCIS says.

Posted by Marcia Taylor at
2:34PM CDT 06/26/15

Monday 06/22/15

More Help on the Fringes

Finding a dedicated work force is no easy task, especially in states like Nebraska where the latest unemployment rates run 2.7%--and the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa, all at 3.8%.[Read Full Blog Post]

Thursday 06/18/15

Guidelines for Family Meetings

When farms were one-man shops, you could carry your hopes, aspirations and business practices in your head. As the scale of farming has grown, we've seen multiple family managers, in-laws and generations involved.[Read Full Blog Post]

Tuesday 06/16/15

Vote of Confidence for ARC

USDA unveiled farmers' elections for the 2014 Farm Bill safety net June 15. Even veteran farm policy watchers were surprised at some of the outcomes--1.76 million farms enrolled (60,000 more than under the direct payment program that expired last year) and a resounding vote of confidence in revenue-based farm support programs instead of "target price" coverage for the first time in history.[Read Full Blog Post]

Would like to recognize & thank the folks @ the University of Illinois for the good work they did (& do)on helping decipher and explain the Farm program. They have been very helpful on many other Farm related matters. ...
Thank You & Good Job U of I .
From a Purdue grad no less!

Posted by Martin seeds at
10:27AM CDT 06/17/15

Dear Purdue grad, I'd give the University of Illinois (and its team members at Ohio State, Montana and elsewhere) an A+ for effort, too. Their maps help us visualize farm programs in a new way; their calculators were easy enough to navigate for a journalism major who skipped every computer course possible in college. However, I have to give Iowa State University a big kudo for the simple calculator it released today. Iowans can get an up-to-the-minute estimate of their ARC-CO and PLC payments for 2014 and 2015 crops. For example, Boone County, Iowa is now forecast to receive $74.64/corn base acre in 2014 and 2015; no 2014 soybean payments, but $49.02/base acre of soybeans for 2015. If you're in Iowa, it's a great feature. Check it out at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/articles/plastina/PlaJune15b.html

Posted by MARCIA TAYLOR at
5:42PM CDT 06/18/15

Friday 06/12/15

10 Ways to Skin a Profit

Economists and ag bankers have been making headlines in recent weeks about the need for grain farmers to drastically realign their cost of production for 2016. After talking at length to progressive grain producers from five states last week, I found all were taking that message to heart.[Read Full Blog Post]

I think I read earlier in one of your blogs someone stating that it will be the top 4 percent in terms of land size that will fail in 2016.Some of these guys are leveraged so hard by paying non profitable land prices.Even at $7.00 corn some land sales were out of reach.And, did anyone think the good farm economy would last?? Come on!!! If you did you haven't been farming long.Why are guys reluctant to give up poor ground or any land for that matter?Let someone else lose money on it,before long it will be back on the market.

Posted by Raymond Simpkins at
9:23AM CDT 06/14/15

I noticed in the last paragraph that one farmer "....now hedges commodities earlier than ever for better prices." It's good to see this since after all once all inputs have been scrutinized the best place to make up profits/ground on your competeting neighbors is in the area of doing a better job of marketing. I have tried to convince my family members to do a better job of marketing (forward price by taking advantage of better/higher prices earlier then protecting those earlier/higher prices w/ hedging) for years now w/ no/little avail. But alas, old habits die hard.

Posted by Todd Young at
11:01AM CDT 06/15/15

Is this an article referencing family farming or Big Bus.?? Substitute Tenants? Screw thy neighbor! Thanks a lot.

Posted by Bonnie Dukowitz at
10:54AM CDT 06/16/15

Monday 05/18/15

Leadership the Army Way

Both in the military and in family businesses, you won't necessarily find born leaders. Most people acquire leadership skills through training, practice or at least copying a role model. Given that so many of you worry aboutmotivating the best fromyour workforce, it's worth recounting how Army methods might help improve performance.[Read Full Blog Post]

Friday 05/15/15

What's New On Brazil's Old Frontier

Fifteen years ago, crop scouts for USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service liked to say you could see the end of the soybean frontier and the beginning of the Amazon Rain Forest from the northern outskirts of Sinop.[Read Full Blog Post]

Tuesday 05/05/15

Cash Rents a Culprit in Credit Defaults?

The first signs of financial stress are hitting the Farm Belt, as DTN's Elizabeth Williams reported this week (see "Credit Begins to Crack" on the Farm Business page http://goo.gl/Hw0jU).[Read Full Blog Post]

cash rent is not the culprit, save your money in the good times and stop blaming the land owner

Posted by Wally frey at
6:00AM CDT 05/06/15

It is hard to feel for either the owner or the renter at ridiculous numbers. Suits to collect, good grief, you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip.
It would be interesting to know what per cent of the cropland is represented by the 2% unacceptable loans.

Posted by Bonnie Dukowitz at
7:43AM CDT 05/06/15

While cash rent may not be a culprit for some, it is for others. Some high cash rents came out of "necessity" that someone else was willing to pay more rent and therefore the farmer had to up it or lose it. It's a huge balancing act. However, the landlord has the ultimate power in the situation. He asks for what he wants, and either gets it or finds someone else. I for one would think that as a landowner, I want the best for my ground. If I don't want someone mining my ground or not taking care of it properly because there is no profit for the farm tenant, then I need to be reasonable and lower the rent to a level both parties can find acceptable. Finally, I don't care that corn was $7 in 2012 and you didn't get the top cash rent in the county (I hear this as justification for high cash rents or rental rates increasing). I didn't have corn to sell more than likely. It's why it got that high in the first place.

Posted by Pedro Sanchez at
1:59PM CDT 05/06/15

Pedro,It was not necessity.It is greed! No one twisted your arm to pay big rents. Just sit back and wait.

Posted by Raymond Simpkins at
5:24AM CDT 05/08/15

This country has a cheap food policy that needs thrown in the trash.If a disaster hit earth a tree month supply of grain is not a surplus large supply talkers would have to eat there words cause my bins will be locked. treat others how you been treated not very good.

Posted by andrew mohlman at
8:01AM CDT 05/08/15

Ray, hence my " " around necessity in my comment.

Posted by Pedro Sanchez at
9:18AM CDT 05/11/15

your poor cash flow is not my problem. I need more ground to lower my cost of production.

Posted by Unknown at
9:21PM CDT 05/12/15

To unknown. What are you talking about? An acre is an acre, it cost as much to plant one acre as it does one thousand on a per acre bases. Unless you have to much eqiupment and if you do sell some. If your going to lose or breakeven on what you have than sure sounds like good business to farm more!!!! DAH.

Posted by Raymond Simpkins at
6:58AM CDT 05/13/15

Thursday 04/30/15

End Family Silence

Forget giving your family members and business partners the silent treatment. DTN's family business adviser, Lance Woodbury with Ag Progress in Garden City, Kansas, tackles the "avoidance instinct" in his current DTN column: In other words, how can we get family business owners to overcome their natural reluctance to lay out a path for transition.[Read Full Blog Post]

Thursday 04/23/15

Track Iowa's Field of Dreams

The bloom is coming off Corn Belt farm real estate, and that's just fine with buyers like 70-year-old Tony Kriegel of Brooklyn, Iowa. He views farmland as a long-term investment, something he hopes his 12 children will never sell.[Read Full Blog Post]

Monday 04/20/15

Beware False Hopes on Estate Taxes

The rally cry of "death to estate taxes" won a symbolic vote in the U.S. House of Representatives last week, but few tax practitioners are taking the move seriously. In fact, some caution that House passage of the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015 will only give farmers and family business owners reason to procrastinate.[Read Full Blog Post]

I am not commenting on the virtue of the law for wealth accumulation, but strictly from a different perspective. I think that Kevin Bearley hit the issue on the head. Right now, most people procrastinate or put off doing anything. If this bill were to pass as is, it would only cement that process, and for the most part, no one would need to do any life estate planning except for a few thousand. I think that you would see land sales dry up completely unless someone needed cash for something, as in my humble opinion, no one would sell and pay the capital gain tax, because they will just hold it in the family until Mom/Dad or both pass away. They then get the stepped up basis to sell and pay no tax. This doesn't even bring into consideration depreciable assets that would potentially be allowed to wait until death to step up and avoid paying any tax on it at all. This law could potentially wipe out an entire generation of decision makers because the elders will hold all the assets until death.

Tue Jul 28, 2015 04:41 PM CDTThere's a lot of fine print in how USDA calculates income eligibility for farm programs under the new farm bill. Just be aware that there's no single definition of the "Adjusted Gross Income" rule that fits all individuals and business structures, as I reported from the annual American Institute of CPA agricultural meeting several weeks ago.

Mon Jul 27, 2015 01:27 PM CDTAdmittedly my friend Zach probably isn't paying full market value for his uncle's share of an irrigated specialty farm, but the size and responsibility of his multi-million dollar, 30-year note still keeps the young farmer up nights.

Thu Jun 25, 2015 05:28 PM CDTThe fact that very few farm estates pay federal taxes is no accident. Most farm families spend a decade or more gifting and transferring assets to keep their family business intact.

Wed Jun 24, 2015 02:46 PM CDTJust like grocery stores, crop insurance companies seem to run "loss leaders" in the meat department to get your business in the snack aisle. By law, insurers must sell identical multi-peril policies, so offering private riders is one way to differentiate themselves from the crowd.

Mon Jun 22, 2015 01:41 PM CDTFinding a dedicated work force is no easy task, especially in states like Nebraska where the latest unemployment rates run 2.7%--and the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa, all at 3.8%.

Thu Jun 18, 2015 05:16 PM CDTWhen farms were one-man shops, you could carry your hopes, aspirations and business practices in your head. As the scale of farming has grown, we've seen multiple family managers, in-laws and generations involved.

Tue Jun 16, 2015 01:52 PM CDTUSDA unveiled farmers' elections for the 2014 Farm Bill safety net June 15. Even veteran farm policy watchers were surprised at some of the outcomes--1.76 million farms enrolled (60,000 more than under the direct payment program that expired last year) and a resounding vote of confidence in revenue-based farm support programs instead of "target price" coverage for the first time in history.

Fri Jun 12, 2015 04:29 PM CDTEconomists and ag bankers have been making headlines in recent weeks about the need for grain farmers to drastically realign their cost of production for 2016. After talking at length to progressive grain producers from five states last week, I found all were taking that message to heart.

Mon May 18, 2015 01:44 PM CDTBoth in the military and in family businesses, you won't necessarily find born leaders. Most people acquire leadership skills through training, practice or at least copying a role model. Given that so many of you worry aboutmotivating the best fromyour workforce, it's worth recounting how Army methods might help improve performance.

Fri May 15, 2015 01:53 PM CDTFifteen years ago, crop scouts for USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service liked to say you could see the end of the soybean frontier and the beginning of the Amazon Rain Forest from the northern outskirts of Sinop.

Thu Apr 30, 2015 02:35 PM CDTForget giving your family members and business partners the silent treatment. DTN's family business adviser, Lance Woodbury with Ag Progress in Garden City, Kansas, tackles the "avoidance instinct" in his current DTN column: In other words, how can we get family business owners to overcome their natural reluctance to lay out a path for transition.

Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:06 AM CDTThe bloom is coming off Corn Belt farm real estate, and that's just fine with buyers like 70-year-old Tony Kriegel of Brooklyn, Iowa. He views farmland as a long-term investment, something he hopes his 12 children will never sell.

Mon Apr 20, 2015 12:11 PM CDTThe rally cry of "death to estate taxes" won a symbolic vote in the U.S. House of Representatives last week, but few tax practitioners are taking the move seriously. In fact, some caution that House passage of the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015 will only give farmers and family business owners reason to procrastinate.

Tue Mar 31, 2015 03:31 PM CDTNo subject seems to trouble families more than splitting a partnership apart. One brother I know agonized for years about ending a business relationship with his alcoholic sibling. He felt obligated to be his brother's keeper.

Fri Mar 27, 2015 01:25 PM CDTJust a few years ago, Ukraine boasted some of the world's most profitable grain farms. Institutional-scale agribusinesses--some approaching 1 million acres-- accounted for more than 25% of the Former Soviet Union's output.